Support means for a group of relatively small similarly shaped articles



ErAL 2,890,801 P oF RELATIVELY En ARTICLES June 16, 1959 J. w. B. LADDSUPPORT MEANS FOR A GRoU L sIMI 4 a 2 .d Wnj a n w WMM fo 3 m 2 5 H.. 9l m B mlm June 16, 1959 J. w. B. LADD AL 2,890,801

SUPPORT MEANS FOR A GROUP RELATIVELY SMALL SIMILARLY SHAPED ARTICLESFiled July 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 haar dttorffx June 16, 1959 1SUPPORT MEAN F R Filed July 50, 1953 United States Patent SUPPORT MEANSFOR A GROUP OF RELATIVELY SMALL SIMILARLY SHAPED ARTICLES .lohn W. B.Ladd, Ridgefield, and Thomas R. Arden, New Fairfield, Conn., assignorsto Bard-Parker Company, luc., Danbury, Conn., a corporation of New YorkApplication July 30, 1953, Serial No. 371,377

9 Claims. (Cl. 211-177) This invention relates to support means for agroup of relatively small, similarly shaped apertured articles. Moreparticularly it relates to support means for such articles havingspecially prepared surfaces, edges or other characteristics which it isnecessary to protect, particularly where it is important that thearticles may be safely shipped by commercial transportation in acondition reducing to a minimum the amount of subsequent unpacking orother preparation necessary prior to actual use of the articles by theultimate consumer. The invention finds particular application in theprovision of support means for detachable surgical knife or scalpelblades of the type adapted to be used with a handle member with whichthey are assembled in actual use. While the invention in its broaderaspects contemplates, generally, apparatus for and methods of supportingor carrying articles of the broad character first indicated above, thedescription which follows illustrates by way of example application ofthe inventive concept specifically to sup'- porting surgical knifeblades of the type just mentioned, inasmuch as this particularapplication of the invention has already found very extensive commercialuse. It is to be understood at the outset, however, that the inventionis not thus limited but comprises all similar applications whichproperly fall within the scope dened in the appended claims.

Surgical knife blades, of the type designed to be secured in a holder orhandle when used for making an incision and which are simply thrown awayafter each use without any attempt to reclaim or resharpen them, havelong been Widely used by surgeons and others in the medical profession.One of the chief problems encountered to date in the use of suchdetachable blades has been the fact that since the blades must becarefully protected during shipment to prevent damage to their nelyprepared edges and also since the blades may remain in storage either ata supply house or at the point of ultimate use for a very substantialperiod of time during which they must be protected against lust or othercorrosion, fairly elaborate packaging means have heretofore beenadopted. This in turn has made it necessary for a nurse or otherattendant preparing a group of blades for use each day to spendconsiderable time in unpacking the blades and preparing them forplacement in a sterilizer. In one of the better packaging arrangementsemployed up to now, the blades have been inserted transversely in astrip or web of paper having cooperating pairs of slits provided thereinfor the purpose, the web and inserted blades being rolled upsubsequently to provide a package containing a predetermined number ofblades, each isolated from adjacent blades by a portion or portions ofthe web intermediate adjacent blades. When it is later necessary to usethe blades, they must be unwrapped and individually withdrawn from theslits of the web for placement in a germicidal solution or otherantiseptic medium prior to surgical use. While it is possible simply toplace the blades individually into a sterilizer tray, the subsequentdiihculty incurred in trying to pick up an individual sterilized bladewith forceps to mount it in a handle has made it common practice toassemble the blades in groups on an arm or arms permanently secured to astandard. The blades are generally suspended from the arms by passage ofthe latter through an aperture which is provided in each shank portion,this being provided primarily as part of the means for securing a bladeto a detachable handle. Since it is not at all uncommon for manyhospitals to use as many as a gross of scalpel blades during anoperating day, the nurse or other attendant preparing the blades mustspend between one-half to three-quarters of an hour simply removing themfrom their web wrapper and placing them on the arms of a standard. Whena sufficient number of the blades has been assembled on arms of thestandard, the whole assembly is then placed in a sterilizer. And sinceit is common for many of the larger hospitals to use two hundred or moregross of the blades each year, the substantial amount of time expendedby nurses in preparing the blades becomes a matter of real expense, notto mention the fact that it takes them away from other more importantWork for which they are needed. Furthermore since each blade has had tobe handled individually heretofore, the possibility of dropping one orotherwise injuring its cutting edge is readily apparent. Also the personwho prepared the blades for use had to be extremely cautious in handlingthem, not only to preserve their razor sharp edges, but to avoid gettingcut himself. Considering the tediousness of the job and the generalnecessity for haste, the liability to painful accidents is manifest.

It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to eliminate theforegoing difficulties associated with the detachable type of surgicalknife blade. To this end there is provided a mandrel or carrier forsupporting a group of the blades by insertion through the aperturesthereof, which carrier or mandrel serves a dual purpose. The first ofthese is to support a group of the blades in a shipping package. Thispackage is adapted to receive and hold the mandrel in lixed position sothat the blades are held in a closely grouped unit to prevent contact oftheir sharpened edges with any adjacent surface and thus properlypreserve these edges during shipment. The mandrel also serves thefurther purpose of providing a carrier by which the whole group ofblades can be simultaneously removed from the shipping container and bywhich their placement in a germicidal solution is facilitated. Thislatter feature is particularly enhanced Where provision is made forsecuring the mandrel itself to a sterilizer rack or standard.

A novel feature of the invention accordingly is the provision of amandrel of the foregoing type and a standard or rack to which themandrel and its associated group of blades may be quickly and easilyattached so as to support the blades in depending fashion from themandrel and to permit free access to all parts of the blades of agermicidal solution when the mandrel is assembled with the standard andthe entire assembly placed in a sterilizer.

The article group supporting mandrel of the type mentioned above is notonly highly effective for the foregoing purposes but at the same time isof such relatively simple construction as to make it economicallypossible to discard the mandrel once the group of instruments with whichit was originally supplied has been used up.

By a supporting arrangement of this type designed speciiically forsurgical blades not only is it possible to reduce very materially theamount of time required to prepare the blades for operative use, butalso to reduce 3 substantially the cost to the manufacturer of packagingthe blades in the first instance. Because of the arrangement proposedherein, pre-packaging of surgical blades 1n Va condition in which theymay be simply removed as a group and placed as such on a sterilizingrack or standard .is vnow possible. The particular arrangement of suchpre- ,packaging itself in a shipping and storing container or ,carton isdisclosed in a copending application of John `W. B. Ladd, Serial No.488,915, led February 17, 1955,

and reference is made thereto for further disclosure in that connection.The operations of removing a pre-arranged group of blades from theshipping container, assembling them with thestandard and placing theentire assembly in a sterilizer, if this is required, can beaccomplished in a matter of seconds, even for as many as a full gross ofsurgical blades. The great saving in time, as well as the elimination ofsubstantially all liability to injury during the steps just described,is accordingly obvious. Due to the shortage of nurses, the saving intime alone is of the utmost importance today.

Further advantages of the arrangement and construction of the bladesupporting means here disclosed will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrating several particular forms of blade mandrels or brackets andcooperating standards embodying the principles of this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view in elevation of an assembled rackcomprising a base or standard having demountably attached thereto fourgroups of surgical knife blades supported upon mandrels or brackets;

Fig. 2. is a front elevational view ofthe assembled rack shown in Fig.l, the outline of a sterilizing jar being shown in dotted lines toindicate how the rack would be positioned therein for sterilization ofthe blades;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. l, one of thebrackets and its associated group of blades being removed to showdetails of the socket means for attachment of the brackets;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig.3, showing details of the bracket supporting arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a further fragmentary view, partly in section, on line S-S ofFig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the mandrel or bracketmembers;

Fig. 7 is a view, from the opposite side, of the bracket shown in Fig.6, a group of blades being supported thereon in position ready for use;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified rack construction similar tothat of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is a view of a double ended bracket of the type adapted for usewith the standard shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. l0 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 1l is a fragmentary view of another type of rack arrangement;

Fig. l2 illustrates a bracket of the type adapted for use in the rackshown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view taken on line 13-13 of Fig. 1l to showdetails of the socket member for the reception and support of a mandrelsuch as that shown in Fig. 11; and Y Fig. 14 is a fragmentaryperspectivesview of another form of socket arrangement for a standardwhich is adapted to receive brackets of the type illustrated in Figs. 6and 7.

The rack assembly 20 shown more especially in Figs. 4l vthrough 3comprises a standard consisting of horizontally extending legs 21 ofsheet metal or the like forming aV base to support an upright post 22provided with a block-.like socket member V23 secured adjacent its upperend 24. The knurled portion of this end of the post is designed `tofacilitate picking up the assembled rack in plane of the bracket.

4 moving it to and from a sterilizer, for example. In this instancesocket member 23 is a solid metal block provided with four verticallyextending, keyhole-shaped apertures 25 which form sockets for thereception of the inner ends of blade-supporting mandrels or brackets 26,as shown more particularly in Figs. l and 3. A plurality of detachablescalpel blades B are in this instance shown supported on the brackets bythe passage of the latter through the elongated apertures provided inthe blades. As seen in Fig. 2, the whole assembly is adapted to tit in asterilizer jar J, of glass or the like, having a closely fitting coverC.

The supporting mandrels or brackets 26 are substantially flat,plate-like members terminating at their inner end in an enlargementcomprising a cylindrically bent portion 27 formed by bending the innerend of the bracket transversely of its length. The sockets 25 which areadapted to receive this end of the bracket and to support it, togetherwith its associated group of blades B, from the standard, open upon boththe horizontal and lateral surfaces of socket member 23. As seen best inFig. 3, opposed walls 25a define a narrow or restricted channel 25bcommunicating between the main body 25e of each socket and the adjacentlateral surface upon which it opens. The brackets are assembled with thestandard by sliding them vertically downward into the socket member 23so that the cylindrical portion 27 of each bracket ts into the main body2SC of a socket, While the adjacent portion 26a of the bracket passesthrough the slot 25b constituting the aforesaid restricted channel. Thislocks the bracket in place and prevents any horizontal swinging movementabout the upright post 22. In order to prevent the bracket from passingcompletely through the socket member when assembled therewith, a tab 28`extending tangentially from the cylindrical portion 27 of the bracketat the upper edge thereof abuts against the upper face of the socketmember alongside the slot 25b when the bracket is fully inserted in asocket, as best shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, thus preventing furtherdownward movement of the bracket. The bracket is thus caused to projectoutwardly from the standard in cantilever manner. As shown in Fig. lparticularly, blades B are punched out in their shank or root portionsto provide the aforesaid elongated apertures, this being done primarilyto provide a means for attaching the blades to a scalpel handle when inuse. In this instance this aperture is also employed to support theblade from the bracket by inserting the outer, free end of the latterthrough the aperture of the blade, the width and thickness of thebracket being proportioned accordingly to permit an easy, sliding fit ofthe blades along the bracket. That is, the cross-sectional shape of thebracket is so formed as to cause the bracket to coact with the sides ofthe blade apertures to prevent any substantial turning or twisting ofthe blades about the axis of the bracket.

As seen more especially in Fig. 7, blades B are adapted to be removed bysliding them one at a time over the outer, free ends 29 of the bracketsas they are required for use. As here shown, brackets 26 are providedwith a detent arrangement adjacent their free ends to prevent the bladesfrom falling or being knocked off accidentally, as well as to facilitatethe separation of the outer blade of a group from the rest of such groupto a position from which it can be readily picked up and removed frornthe bracket without interference from the remaining Iblades.

In order to prevent interference by the inner blades of a group on abracket when the vbracket is being assembled to the standard, eachbracket is provided with upper and lower angular tabs 30 and 31,respectively, which extend laterally in opposite directions from the YThe outer surfaces of these tabs are vertically aligned and are disposedsomewhat away from thelateral surface of the socket member 23 when thebrackets are assembled therewith. The tabs thus provide an innerabutment beyond which a blade or blades on the bracket cannot pass. Thisinsures that the blades are kept in substantially parallel planestransversely of the axis of the bracket and thus are held out of the waywhen the inner end of the bracket is being inserted into a socket on thestandard. The inner abutment thus afforded by tabs 30 and 31 is alsoused in connection with the pre-packaging arrangement of a group ofblades on a bracket. In order to hold the group of blades in a compactgroup on the bracket during shipment so that they do not twist and turninto such position that their cutting edges come in contact either withadjacent blades or with portions of the shipping container, a springclip is employed to rmly press the group of blades against these tabs.This spring clip, however, forms a part of the packaging arrangementdisclosed in the previously mentioned copending application of Ladd.

Various modifications inthe specific structural arrangement describedabove will be apparent. One such modication is shown in Figs. 8, 9 and10 in which a pair of double-ended brackets or mandrels are employed. Inthis instance rack 40 comprises a standard consisting of legs 41 and anupright post 42 supported thereby, the post being in this instancesubstantially square in cross section. About midway up on the post thereis a pin 43 which passes through and is secured to the post so as toproject horizontally therefrom on at least one face a short distance.The upper end of post 42 is threaded and is provided with a removablenut 44 which engages the threaded portion of the post. The-blade-supporting mandrels or brackets 45 each extend on opposite sidesof the post 42, being secured to the post at an intermediate point bypassage of the latter through apertures 46, 47, of flanges 48, 49,respectively, which project horizontally from the upper and lower edgesof bracket 45 in overlying relation. The lower bracket 45 when slid overthe upper end of the post 4Z comes to rest against the projecting pin43, and the upper bracket 45 then rests upon the upper face of the lowerbracket, after which nut 44 is screwed onto the top of the post tosecure the brackets to the stand. To assist in picking up a bracket andits complement of blades, the upper ilange 48 is provided at its outerextremities with a pair of ears 50 by which the bracket can be easilygrasped with the fingers. Each of the brackets has shoulders 51, one oneach side of the central portion 52 formed by two, substantially rightangle bends in the extending arms ot the bracket. Flanges 48 and 49 arealso provided with shoulders 53, 54, respectively, as best seen in Fig.9, which together with shoulders 51 constitute inner abutments againstwhich blades B strike and are thus prevented from further inwardmovement.

In Figs. 11 through 13 a still further modification is illustrated. Apost 60, similar to those of the standards previously described, isprovided with a socket member 61 secured to it by welding or othersuitable means. As seen best in Fig. 13, socket 61 comprises a loopformed by bending a strip of sheet metal into a substantially U- shape,when viewed from above, having projecting lugs 63, 64, extendinglaterally from each leg 62 forming the main body of the socket. It is bymeans of these lugs 63, 64, that the socket 61 is secured to its post.Socket 61 is notched to provide a lip 65 at its upper outer edge for apurpose to be described presently. The bracket 66 which is adapted inthis instance to engage socket 61 comprises a ilat metal strip having atits inner end a downwardly extending tongue 67 separated from theadjacent main body portion of the bracket by a narrow channel 68 cut outof the plate. Bracket 66 is assembled with its standard by inserting thetongue 67 into socket 61 and lowering the bracket until the upper edge69 of channel 68 comes to rest on the lip 65 of socket 61. In theparticular form of bracket illustrated in the drawings, there is alsoprovided a tab 70 'which extends substantially horizontally from theupper edge of the inner end of bracket 66 which also comes to rest uponthe upper edges of cheeks 71 of socket member 61 in the fully engagedposition. Bracket 66 is likewise provided with a lug 72 adjacent tlab 70and extending in substantially the same plane, which acts as an innerabutment for the blades when supported on the arm. Only one socketmember on post 60 has been illustrated here but it is obvious of coursethat any convenient number of such members can be positioned around thepost to accommodate any desired number of brackets.

The socket construction illustrated in Fig. 14 is of a type adapted toreceive brackets such as those shown in Figs. 6 and 7. 'Ihis clip-likearrangement oers some advantage with regard to greater ease ofsterilizing and economy of manufacture over the solid, powdered metalblock type such as that shown in Figs. 1 through 5. In this case a stripof metal is formed with a double bend or bow and is joined to the post81 of a standard by welding at a point intermediate the bows. Othersimilar strips are then secured to the post at points spacedcircumferentially around the post to provide four clips or sockets 82,as shown. Thus each strip 80 forms one-half of each of two sockets inthe iinal arrangement. As in the case of the sockets shown in Figs. 1through 5, sockets 82 open laterally between the guide lips 83 toreceive the inner portion 26u of brackets 26 and thus hold the bracketsin radially extending direction from the upright post.

Many other modifications of the specific mechanical constructionsillustrated and described hereinabove are of course possible. Forexample instead of attaching to a post any one of the several bracketsupporting socket members suggested heretofore, they may be secured toor provided on a longitudinal rack member. Such an arrangement isparticularly suitable where a very large number of blades is needed andthe rack member is adapted to lit into and be supported within aconventional rectangular sterilizer of well known type. A rack of thislatter type has also found commercial application as a convenient meansof holding a large number of brackets during the placement of bladesthereon by the manufacturer in preparation for shipment.

As mentioned previously, the foregoing specific examples are merelyillustrative, it being Within the contemplation of the invention broadlyto provide a supporting arrangement for articles which are grouped on amandrel or bracket so as to temporarily support them as a compact unitin condition to provide maximum protection from injury to the articlesbut to allow their rapid and easy removal, either individually or anumber at a time, from the supporting mandrel when the articles are tobe used. It is to be understood, therefore, that the following claimsare to be construed in such light in delining the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with surgical knife blades having noncircularapertures in their shank portions, of a bracket having at least oneouter free end which is passed through said blade apertures, saidbracket having a cross-sectional shape ittedly received in saidapertures and engaging the margins thereof to prevent swinging movementof said blades about said bracket while permitting them to be slidtherealong, said bracket having attachment means spaced from said atleast one outer free end for detachably securing the bracket insubstantially horizontal position to a standard to cause said blades todepend freely, and a transverse abutment on said bracket spacedoutwardly from said attachment means to engage said blades and limitsliding movement thereof toward said means.

2. The combination as defined in claim l, wherein said bracket isprovided with two outer free ends and a transverse abutment spacedinwardly, respectively, from each of said ends, said attachment meansbeing disposed between said transverse abutments on said bracket.

3. The combination with surgical knife-blades having a long narrowaperture in their respective shank portions, of a flat bracket slightlysmaller in cross-section than the blade apertures, said bracket havingan outer free end which is passed through said blade apertures and whichengages the margins of the latter to prevent substantial swingingmovement of the blades about the bracket while permitting them to beslid therealong; said bracket also having attachment means spaced fromsaid free end for detachably mounting it in horizontal position on asupport to cause said blades to depend freely therefrom; a transverseabutment on said bracket spaced outwardly from said attachment means anda detent in the upper edge of said bracket adjacent its free end, saidabutment and detent being engagable by said blades and positively andreleasably, respectively, restraining them against further slidingmovement inwardly and outwardly, respectively, along said bracket.

4. The combination as dened in claim 3, wherein said attachment meanscomprises a cylindrical enlargement on said bracket.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said cylindricalenlargement is a loop formed by bending the inner end of said bracketback upon itself.

6. The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said abutmentcomprises a lateral tab bent outwardly from the plane of said bracket atsubstantially right angles thereto.

7. The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said detent comprisesan upwardly directed linger-like projection formed in the upper edge ofthe bracket at its free end.

8. The combination with surgical knife blades having noncircularapertures in their shank portions, of a standard, and a bracketdetachably secured to said standard and having an outer free endprojecting substantially horizontally therefrom, said bracket beingshaped in cross-section for fitted reception within said blade aperturesand being inserted therein to suspend the blades therefrom and to engagethe margins of their apertures and prevent swinging movement about thebracket while permitting sliding movement therealong, said brackethaving attachment means spaced from said free end and said standardhaving complementary means within which said bracket means is removablyengaged, said bracket being provided also with an abutment spacedoutwardly from said attachment means and a detent adjacent its outerfree end, which abutment and detent positively and releasably,respectively, engage said blades to limit sliding movement thereon.

9. The combination with surgical knife blades having elongated aperturesin their shank portions, of a standard comprising a base and an uprightextending vertically from said base, a bracket detachably secured tosaid upright and having an outer free end projecting substantiallyhorizontally therefrom, said blades being supported on said bracket bythe passage of its free end through said blade apertures; said brackethaving a crosssectional shape fittedly received in said apertures andengaging the margins thereof to prevent swinging of the blades aboutsaid bracket while permitting them to be slid therealong, a member onsaid upright having an upwardly open socket and a narrower channelextending inwardly from a lateral edge of said member and intersectingsaid socket, said bracket having a portion fittedly received in saidsocket and an adjacent portion received in said channel, and atransverse abutment on said bracket spaced outwardly thereon withrespect to said socket engaging portion, said abutment defining a planesurface substantially perpendicular to said projecting free end of saidbracket which is engaged by said blades and positively limits movementthereof toward said upright.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS617,342 Kurz Jan. 10, 1899 724,875 Johnson Apr. 7, 1903 745,873 ManchaDec. 1, 1903 832,086 Schweitzer Oct. 2, 1906 1,125,064 Connell Jan. 19,1915 1,280,567 Siebring Oct. 1, 1918 1,409,609 Stockle Mar. 14, 19221,413,016 Cook Nov. 6, 1923 1,562,369 Schmidt Nov. 17, 1925 1,611,582Davis Dec. 2l, 1926 1,747,951 Reichert Feb. 18, 1930 1,923,664 CraigAug. 22, 1933 1,938,370 Bodkin Dec. 5, 1933 2,029,535 Langel Feb. 4,1936 2,477,735 Gentile Aug. 2, 1949 2,716,533 Freeman Aug. 30, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 497,146 France Sept. 2, 1919 183,985 Great Britain Aug.10, 1922 652,745 France Mar. l2, 1923 628,537 Great Britain Aug. 3l,1949

